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TEQUILA

In
his poem Tequila: Panegyric
and Emblem, Alvaro Mutis wrote:

Tequila is a pallid flame that passes
through walls
and soars over tile roofs to allay despair.

Despite its huge sales in the US, tequila
is still the most misunderstood and maligned liquor. Most people only
know tequila through drunken encounters with low-quality ('mixto') tequila
in their youth. But on my site you can discover the 100% agave tequilas
or the gentle tequilas aged three years in oaken casks (virtually, at
least).

You can have the virtual pleasure of sipping the rare
tequilas made entirely by hand in small distilleries, using 200-year-old
methods, fabricas that don't even have electricity but still produce
tequila as they have for generations. And at www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/
you can learn all about the history, production, culture and
lore of tequila, with notes on buying and tasting. And you can learn
about
mezcal and
pulque (in recently expanded and revised sections). There
are links to other resources, books, magazines and a lot more. Plus
you'll have a chance to purchase my handy Pocket Guide to Tequila.

News of the crisis in the agave
harvest - agave shortages and diseases. Tequila producers are importing
agaves from Oaxaca. 100% agave products are being made into mixtos!
Distillers are closing or cutting back. Armed guards patrol agave fields.
Check this site for details. Updated and revised in March 2001.

IXTAPA &
ZIHUATANEJO

My wife and I have
a special place in our hearts for Mexico, especially the west coast.
We'd like to move there and open a business, or at least retire there.
Check out my comments on Zihuatanejo,
Mexico, one of our favourite places to visit. You'll learn
about our friends Johnny and Lorna who run a small bed and breakfast
down there - and who operate the Amistad Cafe (the best place for
breakfast in Zihua). Plus you'll read other comments on the
community and town.

MEXICO & CRIME

Also
read my comments on crime in
Mexico, too.
Sensationalist news articles don't always
convey the truth. Mexico doesn't always get the most sympathetic press in
North America. Canadian and American writers have a poor understanding of
Mexican history, culture, economics and society.

Email me at ichadwick@rogers.com if you want to
add your two cents' worth or to just comment on my pomposity. More
essays are in the works. Check back again for updates. last update:
Jan 18 2005.